


she doesn't know my name (but that won't stop me from loving her)

by perfection_located



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Only the nurse and juliet end up together, Romeo and Juliet AU, fake death, jealous!Regina, true loves kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 07:18:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5576284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perfection_located/pseuds/perfection_located
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Nurse has pined after Emma Capulet for years. But when the girl meets Neal Montague at a dance, who is she to stand in the way of Emma's choices?</p>
            </blockquote>





	she doesn't know my name (but that won't stop me from loving her)

**Author's Note:**

> And odd Romeo and Juliet AU that popped into my head while watching a version of the play with a very flirty nurse

Emma danced with the mysterious boy in the fox mask, laughing at the words he whispered in her ear. Her smile lit up the entire room. With a peck farewell she all but danced across the room to her Nurse. 

 

“Nurse, Nurse,” she cried, “do find out that young boy’s name.”

 

“Very well, young Emma,” Nurse said, and Emma was swept off for another round of dances. It took the Nurse a three gold coins and most of the evening before she finally did, brow creasing when she heard the name. She only hoped Peter did not find out who his cousin had been dancing with. While King and Queen Capulet would not throw the boy out, there was no doubt in her mind that Peter would find a way to make Neal Montague pay for showing up at the yearly Capulet masquerade ball and dancing with the crown princess.

 

***

 

“Who is he, Nurse? I’m sure you know,” Emma prompted, once they had reached the sanctity of Emma’s chambers. 

 

“I do indeed,” Nurse smiled. “But first your corset. We wouldn’t want you pass out in giddiness.”

 

Emma pouted but allowed Nurse to carefully remove her dress and unlace her corset. Once the corset was loose enough Emma simply let it drop and a blushing Nurse was left to pull the nightgown over the waiting princess. 

 

Stepping primly out of her pooled dress Emma flopped inelegantly down on her four poster bed, dramatically spreading out amongst her red comforter and pillows. “Oh, I can breathe again, thank you Nurse. But you must tell me who the boy is. I know you know.” Emma rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows, staring at Nurse in expectation. 

 

Nurse finished hanging the corset up to her standards before turning. “It was Neal Montague from the kingdom to the East with whom you danced, My Lady,” she said, primly sitting down on her stool to watch Emma react. The Capulet kingdom had had a feud with the Montagues on their left since before anyone could remember for reasons entirely unknown.  

 

Emma groaned and let her face fall into the mattress. “Why? Why must it be a Montague?” she asked, cries muffled. “Why did I fall in love with a Montague, of all the guests we had?”

 

“In love?” Nurse scoffed, arching one perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Surely four dances are not enough for love.”

 

“Oh but they were,” Emma bemoaned, dramatically rolling onto her back, spread eagled. “Four dances were enough for love and more. He has promised to come to my balcony tonight.”

 

“My lady,” Nurse began, hesitant. 

 

Emma held up a hand to silence her. “No, Nurse, I do not care what you have to say, I know your words already.”

 

If Emma had been watching she would have seen her Nurse sort of just, well, deflate at those words. Her shoulders slumped in resignation and her charcoal eyes dimmed, though her fists became clenched. 

 

“If you know my warning all ready, my lady, then by all means, go ahead,” Nurse said, standing and squaring her shoulders. She left the room without another word.

 

***

 

Nurse cast an extra barrier spell on the balcony so that Emma and her Prince would have no chance of setting off the alarm that encircled the castle, then cast a silencing spell on her room and began lobbing fireballs at her fireplace. Each hit sent a plume of fire up the chimney and filled the room with a loud whoosh and a wave of heat. 

 

Nurse was in no mood to hear the sappyness that she knew would transpire between Emma and Neal. She truly did want Emma to be happy with whoever she chose and if that was Neal, Nurse would do all that she could to help, but she would do it with no joy. Nurse loved Emma, she had since she had been 12 and been assigned to a rough and tumble 5 year old Emma Capulet as her charge when the young princess’s nursemaid had passed away of a sudden brain bleed. 

 

It had been purely platonic, at first, but with Emma about to turn 20, the normal age of marriage in the land, a 27 year old Nurse knew that she’d passed platonic affection a long time ago. Emma was, of course, completely oblivious to her Nurse’s jumbled emotions. She didn’t even know her real name. 

 

Nurse was how she’d introduced herself to the young 5 year old princess and Nurse she had remained for 14 years. That was how Nurse knew Emma didn’t really care; she never bothered asking for a name. It was just Nurse this, Nurse that, Nurse, Nurse, Nurse.

 

Nurse let out a particularly angry curse and threw an extra large fireball at this thought. Her magic finally gave out, exhausted, and Nurse collapsed, angry tears marring her otherwise porcelain featured. She fell asleep only after the pressure on her barrier spell lessened, which meant Neal was gone. 

 

***

 

Nurse helped an energetic Emma into her dress the next morning, smiling at the blonde’s infectious smile. 

 

“Oh, Nurse,” Emma said, turning to face the black haired woman who had stood watch over her since childhood. “I’m to marry my Prince, today. You must help me sneak out. He’s promised that Father Gold will marry us at high noon in his chapel.”

 

Nurse took a shocked step back. “Today?” she asked. “You’re going to marry the boy today?”

 

“He’s a choice,” Emma explained. “I get to make a choice, leave the kingdom. My parents are going to marry me off anyways, so why not to a boy I love, a boy I care for, even if I’ve known him only a short while.”

 

It was true, Henry, Emma’s younger brother, was next in line for the throne, and Emma was going to be married off to a respectable suitor as soon as she was old enough. Nurse sighed, resigned. “Then I will take you riding today, my lady, and we will venture to Father Gold’s chapel to see you married.”

 

***

 

“I know pronounce you Prince Capulet and his Princess Capulet,” Gold said, smiling down at the kissing couple. Nurse watched from the side, stomach churning. She could never say no to Emma but she got the feeling that this was the one time she was supposed to.

 

***

 

Nurse ran as fast as she could to Emma’s chambers, heart in her throat. She burst in and began talking almost immediately when those green eyes met hers. “Your cousin, our Peter, he is dead. He killed August and Neal killed him in retribution,” Nurse cried. 

 

Emma gasped. “And Neal, what of him? What of my husband?”

 

“Banished,” Nurse explained at a mere whisper. “Banished from the kingdom, and banished from his own as well.”

 

Emma threw herself into Nurse’s arms for a fierce hug. “What shall I do, Nurse, what shall I do?”

 

“He will come see you tonight, before his banishment,” Nurse explained. “You and he will make plans then.”

 

***

“I’m sorry, Emma,” Nurse said, holding the crying girl to her chest. “An enchantment has been cast and you cannot leave the castle. Your safety, they said. You cannot go with Neal. Not now and I’m not sure if ever.”

 

Emma pounded her fists into Nurse. “No! No! I’ll find a way around it and I’ll be with Neal. I won’t let this choice be taken away from me!”

 

Nurse merely held Emma in as the sun rose until the girl fell into an uneasy sleep.

 

***

“My lady,” Nurse called, opening the door to Emma’s chambers. Emma had gone for a long ride to work off anger after she had discovered that she was betrothed to Killian of the Jones kingdom. She had only just returned an hour ago and when she had yet to be called for, Nurse went to investigate. 

 

Nurse screamed and ran to Emma’s body when she saw it, limp and pale on the bed, and empty bottle in her hand. She shook the princess until she had to be forcefully dragged off of the body and let the strong arms of a palace guard hold her while sobs wracked her body. His name was Robin, Nurse recalled vaguely, but she didn’t really care. Emma was dead. Emma. Was. Dead.

 

***

 

The funeral was very subdued. Nurse set a single white rose on Emma’s breast before she was carried off into the crypt. Unbeknownst to anyone else, the rose held a spell that would alert her if Emma’s body underwent any changes. Nurse had vowed that she couldn’t protect Emma, at least she could protect Emma’s body.

 

***

 

When the rose gave off a signal in the middle of the night Nurse was in the crypt in a matter of seconds, a cloud of purple smoke bringing her silently to the shadows behind a pillar. What she saw, then, was Neal with his lips pressed fervently to Emma’s. He pulled back and whispered please, please, please, into the darkness. 

 

Nurse chose to show herself, then. “What is the meaning of this?” she demanded, face still cloaked in shadow. Neal jumped and his eyes shot to Nurse. 

 

“She’s under a curse,” he explained. “She sleeps like death until true love’s kiss wakes her. I’m supposed to wake her up.” Tears ran down his cheeks, mixing with the dirt there. 

 

Nurse gasped and stepped forward, showing her face in the light. She knew it was a long, shot, that Emma would probably never wake, but she had to try. Two quick steps and she was next to Emma and placing the sweetest yet most desperate of kisses to Emma’s lips. A flash of light engulfed them both and Emma gasped back to life, eyes shooting open. Nurse could only stare. 

 

“You,” Emma breathed. “It’s you?”

 

“It appears so,” Nurse answered. 

 

“Oh my god, -” then Emma cut off. “I don’t even know your name,” she whispered, a hot blush staining her cheeks. 

 

“Regina,” Nurse whispered. “My name is Regina.”

  
Their lips met in what was to be the first of many kisses to come. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not a fan of Emma needing saving by True Love's Kiss but to be quite honest this was just me writing the lesbian au romeo and juliet that I always wanted


End file.
